Minister’s support for books on wheels Vital library service praised
Scottish Government culture minister Jenny Gilruth visited Stirling Council’s mobile library in Deanston for Mobile Libraries Day 2021.
She met Stirling Council community library officer Toby Tollan to discuss the vital role mobile libraries play in the community particularly in tackling social isolation and loneliness.
Toby said: “It’s a real social occasion for many of our readers, who use our visit as an excuse to meet up with each other and have a chat.
“We’ve been told that sometimes we’re the only person they talk to that day, and we’re never short of cards and chocolates at Christmas time.
“Lockdown was difficult for everyone, and we were receiving calls all the time asking when we would be back on the road – however, working from home has also brought us some new readers, who step away from their desk to borrow a book or browse what’s on board.”
While static libraries were closed during the pandemic, many library services pivoted their offering to include a ‘select and collect’ service.
This allowed users to reserve books online or by telephone and arrange to collect them from the mobile stops at specific times, or from established pick-up points on a wider choice of days.
Ms Gilruth said: “Libraries are absolutely vital to ensuring a cultural recovery from the pandemic. We know that libraries are more than books themselves – they’re about community, they’re about digital access and they can also plan a crucial role in tackling isolation.
“Mobile libraries have a key role to play in terms of accessibility for rural and remote areas, improving literacy and in reaching those who might otherwise be excluded.
“National Mobile Libraries Day is a great opportunity to recognise this lifeline service and for government to commit to work with the library sector as we move forward with our cultural recovery plans for the future. There can be no recovery from the pandemic without a thriving library – and mobile library – service.”